rts in June, but goes into his sixth start i | Forum

RIO DE JANEIRO -- The question hanging over Lizzie Armitstead, after the dramatic womens road race had provided respite from the furore engulfing her, is whether she has learned her lesson. http://www.falconsrookiestore.com/Hats/ .The British rider had spent most of the week at the centre of a storm over her failure to observe whereabouts drugs testing rules three times in the past year.She could have been facing a four-year ban but the Court of Arbitration for Sport scratched one of her errors to put her on the Forte de Copacabana start line on Sunday, when she finished fifth behind Anna van der Breggen.The winners Netherlands teammate Annemiek van Vleuten suffered an horrific-looking crash, and some of the Sunday night reports about the injuries she suffered were sobering. But the hangover from Armitsteads issues were still real and Pauline Ferrand Prevot, who had been critical of the decision to allow Armitstead to race, spoke out again.It was a wrong judgement, said the French rider who finished 26th. If it was me, my federation would have said you dont go to the Olympics. You need to respect the rules, they are the same for everybody.I havent spoken to Lizzie this week. Her fiancée had a bad reaction [to me speaking out] and sometimes people are strange.I hope next time she can get the whereabouts rule right. She needs to learn, maybe.It is hard for many people to accept elite athletes make the sort of mistakes that Armitstead made.She has explained at length her version of events?but there surely cannot be many stars in cycling who are not permanently paranoid about observing the drugs-testing rules, regardless of what is going on in their lives.Their careers are at stake if they err and Armitstead has accepted that her reputation has been tainted by this episode.Id be lying if I said I wasnt looking forward to putting this behind me, she said after staying deep in the field for much of the Sundays race and just failing to perform well enough in the final climb.But its the Olympic Games, Im a sports fan and Team GB are going to have some extraordinary performances. I hope the nation doesnt lose faith and they get behind the team, because it will be a good two weeks of sport.I have to come to terms with [the way Im seen]. I cant pick up the phone to everybody that doubts me and explain myself.The only thing I can do is ride my bike fast, get my head down and concentrate on the things I can control.Armitstead insisted her cycling peers have been very supportive, and her British teammates said she had been focused on training and hadnt needed any lifting in the past few days.She has fond Olympic memories of her silver medal from London to console herself with, but they appeared pretty distant to her on Sunday.I have lost a lot of sleep and its been tough, Armitstead said. The immediate future is about getting to see my family and being around people who care about me and love me. Im very much looking forward to that.Sundays race allowed a different focus for the Briton, who said the furore didnt enter her mind once, but her performance over the 136.9km course wasnt enough to change her narrative.Armitstead suffered a puncture early and had to change bikes, and she was pretty happy with fifth, claiming she would have needed a miracle to take gold on a course as undulating as this.Finishing the Olympics and almost wanting to forget it is tough. But, after finishing 20 seconds behind van der Breggen, keeping quiet and cycling fast isnt quite all that she can do.She can impeccably observe the drugs-testing rules, too. http://www.falconsrookiestore.com/Falcons-Jack-Crawford-Jersey/ . -- Running backs Darren McFadden and Rashad Jennings were back at practice for the Oakland Raiders on Wednesday despite being hampered by hamstring injuries. http://www.falconsrookiestore.com/Falcons-Courtney-Upshaw-Jersey/ .500 on the season. The Jets are now 0-5-1 in the second game of back-to-backs. The game started the same way the Vancouver game started the night before, with the Jets taking the first two penalties of the game and killing off the first, but the Oilers getting on the board first, scoring on the second man-advantage. http://www.falconsrookiestore.com/Falcons-Mohamed-Sanu-Jersey/ . Here are his mid-season NBA awards. MVP: (KEVIN DURANT-Thunder) - Has been sensational this season and more importantly, the most consistent player in the league. Considering that his team has been without star guard Russell Westbrook and with the free agent departure of sharpshooter Kevin Martin, hes had to carry the majority of the load to not only keep his team afloat but more importantly, at an elite level. ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Kansas City Royals have hit a nearly three-year low.The defending World Series champions, who also won the 2014 American League pennant, dropped 10 games back in the AL Central standings for the first time since Aug. 31, 2013, after an 8-3 loss to the West-leading Texas Rangers on Friday night.Offense has been sporadic. Its just been tough, manager Ned Yost said. Keep grinding away. You cant tell them to go out and get a hit. Its just got to happen. ... Your mindset is theres a couple months left of baseball to play. Show up ready to go tomorrow.Eric Hosmer had a two-run homer for the fourth-place Royals, who have lost six of their last seven games and are 7-17 in July.Edinson Volquez (8-9), whose name has come up in trade rumors with the Royals struggling, was down 3-0 after the first inning but made it through six innings. He struck out five and walked two while allowing six runs and nine hits.I think I came out a little strong in the first inning, walking the first guy. I got in trouble myself. After that, pitched a couple good innings, Volquez said. I think I lost the game the first inning.The right-hander made his major league debut with the Rangers before being traded to Cincinnati after the 2007 season for slugger Josh Hamilton. Volquez is 0-3 in five career starts against the Rangers, one of four teams hes never beaten in his career.Rougned Odor homered twice, including a solo shot in the first that made it 3-0, while Jurickson Profar also went deep and scored three times for the AL West-leading Rangers.A.J. Griffin (4-1) became the only Texas starter other than All-Star lefty Cole Hamels with a win in July, going 5 2/3 innings in his longest outing in seven starts since coming off the disabled list because of right shoulder stiffness. The only runs he allowed came on Hosmers two-run hoomer in the sixth that made it 5-2. http://www.falconsrookiestore.com/Falcons-Jake-Matthews-Jersey/. Griffin had missed two seasons after Tommy John surgery, but was 3-1 in six starts through the first week of May before going on the DL.Two years off from pitching is a long time. It caught up with me a little bit, Griffin said. I feel like I am getting that second wind. My shoulders responding a lot better with each outing.HOSMER HOMERAfter Lorenzo Cain was hit by a pitch with two outs in the sixth, Hosmer snapped an 0-for-14 slump with his 14th homer. That got the Royals within 5-2 and chased Griffin.ROAD WOESThe Royals have lost eight of their last nine road games are 17-34 away from home this season.SHORT HOPSThe Rangers failed to score in the fourth after loading the bases with no outs. The first out came when third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert made a diving stop of Elvis Andrus grounder, then got up and threw home for a forceout. A strikeout and groundout followed thatTRAINERS ROOMRoyals: Cain played for the first time since June 28 after missing 25 games because of a left hamstring strain. He was reactivated from the disabled list, and rookie OF Brett Eibner was optioned to Triple-A Omaha. ... RHP Luke Hochevar (thoracic outlet syndrome) will get a second opinion Monday from another specialist in Kansas City after a Dallas specialist on Friday recommended season-ending surgery.Rangers: Slugger Prince Fielders season-ending surgery Friday to repair a herniated disk in his neck went as expected.UP NEXTRoyals: RHP Ian Kennedy (6-9) is 0-3 in five starts this month. He is also 0-2 in three career starts against the Rangers.Rangers: Lefty Martin Perez (7-7) was 4-0 in five starts in June, but goes into his sixth start in July still without a win. 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